Hopper mechanism



June 18, 1940; P. E. DOUBLE ET AL HOPPER MECHANiSM Filed July'22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1, 1940.

P. E. DOUBLE n AL 2,295,087

HOPPE'R MECHANISM Filed July 22, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS P/umme/ E20 1/.6/2 BY Fwd/7% Wascefl A V RNEY.

June 18, 1940.

P. E. DOUBLE El AL 2,205,087

HOPPER MECHANISM Filed July 22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS P/ummer EflouA/ BY F/a/r/f 14 054 er Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOPPER. MECHANISM Application July 22, 1938, Serial No. 220,730

6 Claims.

This invention relates to feeding devices and has particular reference to a hopper mechanism adaptable for use with clinch nut machines such as disclosed in our co-pending application S. N. 156,184, filed July 28, 1937, of which this application is a continuation in part.

An object of the invention is to generally improve hoppers.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a constant speed hopper which is adapted to feed nuts to a machine in such manner as to decrease the possibility of clogging or jamming.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a hopper which feeds the nuts into the chute in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the hopper, thereby eliminating all pressure on top of the nuts.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a device embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig 4 is a fragmentary plan view, with certain parts broken away, turned degrees, and shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section, taken on line 5--'5 of Fig. 4, showing the nuts in recesses provided for them and travelling toward the hopper exit.

Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the nuts adapted to be handled by our improved hopper.

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the arcuate steel plate, which carries part of one nut selecting groove, and serves as a cover for part of the other groove.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the plate, illus trated in Fig. 8.

Fig, 10 is a section taken on the line ill-l6 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on Fig. 4 along a curved surface paralleling the directional arrow, except at the lower end thereof where the section turns down into the chute. This view shows a portion of the pocket, parts of the upper and lower selecting grooves and part of the raceway.

' Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understood that the hopper l0 (Figs. 1 and 2) is supported by means of a spider II which is mounted for rotation on stud l2, which in turn is secured to the hopper base l3,

the latter being secured to the bracket M by means of cap screws 15. The hopper attaching face of the bracket I 4 is angularly disposed, as

shown in Fig. 2, so that the hopper is rotated in an angular position. This causes the nuts in the hopper to gravitate toward the lowest point of the base, which base is provided with the selecting groove 36 which promotes the selecting activity. The stud i2 is provided with threads at either end and arranged to engage nuts l6 and Hill. The lower end of the hub of the spider ll rests on a thrust washer ll (Fig. 2). The hopper I8 is provided With a belt groove it around which extends the belt H) which passes over the pulley 26, the latter being supported on a bracket 2| carried on the bottom of the hopper base 13. The pulley 28 is driven by the motor Elia; through a reduction gear assembly 26b. The belt i9 is kept under proper tension by means of the idler pulley 23 (Fig. 1) which is carried on the end of the idler arm 24, the latter being pivoted in a boss 25 formed on the bottom of the hop per base l3. The reference character 22 (Fig. 2), indicates a mirror assembly with which the machine is equipped so that the operator may be able to see the interior of the hopper at all times. I The hopper base is provided with a pocket 26 (Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 11), and a groove 86 (Figs. 2 and 4), which is arranged adjacent that portion of the marginal edge of the base I3, from the right edge of the pocket 26 (Fig. 1), downwardly clockwise and up to a point a little short of where the chute 3| is attached to the base l3. At this point the groove 36 is deepened into a groove designated 21, and part of the outer wall of this groove is removed to receive the arcuate steel plate 28 (Figs. 4, 8, and 10). This plate 28 is pivoted at 29 at its upper end, and is secured in operative position at the lower end by means of a screw 30 threaded into the base i3. The plate 28 is cut with a groove 36a which, when plate 28 is in operative position, constitutes a continuation of groove 36. It is thus seen that from the point a little below where the chute 3! is attached, groove 36 in base l3 continues smoothly as groove 36a in plate 28, while below plate 26 there is an independent groove 21. The steel plate 28, and consequently the groove 36a, terminates above approximately the center of the steel insert 33. Beyond the center of insert 33 it is elevated as best shown in Figure 11. The top of this elevation is lower than the groove 36a, and the elevation, at the lower end thereof, is inclined downward and is spaced from the bevelled end of the base of groove 3611 (Fig.

11). The grooves 36 and 36a form the track in which the nuts travel when they are properly selected. The base l3 (Fig. 11) is provided with an arcuate groove 21 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is directly below the grooves 36 and 36a. This arcuate groove 27 communicates with the raceway 3!. The groove 2'! is arranged to be covered by the arcuate steel plate 28.

The raceway 3! (Figs. 3, i and 1.1) is secured at its upper end to the hopper base l3, by the bolt 32, and communicates with the groove 21, hereinabove described, to carry away the nuts that are properly selected and deposited in the groove 21, as described hereinafter.

The hopper 26 (Fig. 11) is provided in its bottom peripheral edges with slots (Figs. 3 and 11) which are of such size and shape as to permit the nuts to enter side-wise and be deposited in the grooves 38 and and be carried in the grooves in the direction indicated by the arrow (Figs 1 and 4), to a position immediately above the steel cam insert which is screwed to the base I3 as at 34, from whence they drop onto the insert and then travel into the groove 2'! and hence into the raceway 3E. The slots 35 have angular sides 350. on their leading edges, which permit the leading edges of the properly selected nuts to drop onto the insert The portions 357) (Fig. 2) of the lower peripheral edge of the hopper iii, between the slots 35, are arranged to travel in the grooves 35 and 35a and serve as impellers to move the nuts in the grooves.

It is also possible for the ends of the nuts to enter the slots but inasmuch as the nuts are longer than the width of the grooves 35 and 3611, such nuts cannot fall into those grooves. Nuts which enter end-wise are carried beyond the end of the groove 35a above the insert 33, and are redeposited in the pocket 26 for later selection. In other words, nuts that enter the slots 35 sidewise are in position to be properly selected and nuts that enter end-wise are ultimately rejected. Further, if the raceway 3i and the groove 2'! become filled with nuts, all the other nuts traveling in the grooves and 36a will be carried beyond insert 33 and will be dropped into the pocket 26, from which they will again be returned to the selective portion of the hopper by means of gravity pulling them down the inclined surface 3'1 (Fig. 2) formed in the hopper base 43 and acting as the bottom of the pocket 26.

In order to prevent the nuts from becoming packed or jammed in the pocket 26 (Figs. 2 and 4), we provide a false bottom for the pocket 26, which false bottom consists of a comparatively thin plate 38 having a contour very similar to the contour of the pocket 26. This plate 38 is hinged as at 39, which hinge is secured to the inclined surface 3'! of the hopper base by means of bolt 60. On the underside of the plate 38 near its free edge we have sweated a spring 4! which serves as a resilient support for the plate 38. Should the nuts become jammed in the pocket 26, the pressure on the plate 38 occasioned by such jam would cause the spring 4! to be compressed and allow the nuts to free themselves.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A feeding device for a clinch-nut machine, comprising the combination of a base member. a raceway connected to said base member, a groove in the upper surface of said base adapted to accommodate the lower peripheral edge of a hopper and adapted to receive properly selected nuts, a second groove in said base directly underneath said first groove, said last named groove being adapted to receive nuts from said first groove and discharge them into said raceway in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the nuts in the hopper, and an in sert positioned in said base adjacent the terminal end of said first named groove, said insert having an inclined upper surface adapted to give impetus to nuts directed'toward said second groove.

2. In a clinch nut feeding mechanism, including a fixed base and a constantly rotating hopper, the combination of an arcuate groove in said base, a second groove in said base, said second groove comprising part of a raceway and being positioned directly underneath said first groove and extending beyond the end thereof, and radially positioned slots in the lower periphery of said hopper adapted to receive side-wise nuts car ried in said hopper and allow the nuts to be deposited in said first groove, the ends of said slots being adapted to move the nuts in said first groove to the end thereof, from whence they are deposited by gravity into said second groove.

3. The combination defined in claim 2, wherein there is a pocket in said base between the ends of said arcuate groove, and said slots are adapted to receive nuts either side-wise or end-wisc, and said arcuate groove is of such width as to receive nuts side-wise but not end-wise, whereby the nuts entering said slots end wisc are carried over both said grooves and into said pocket.

4. The combination defined in claim wherein there is a pocket in said base between the ends of said arcuate groove, and said slots are adapted to receive nuts either side-wise or end wise, and said arcuate groove is of such width as to receive nuts side-wise but not end-wise, whereby the nuts entering said slots end-wise are carried over both said grooves and into said pocket, said pocket having a resiliently mounted false bottom adapted to automatically release pressure exerted on said false bottom by an accumulation of nuts between said false bottom and the rotating hopper.

5. The combination defined in claim 2, wherein there is inserted in said base a member having an inclined surface, which said member is arranged beneath one end of said arcuate groove, and is adapted to receive nuts from the end of said arcuate groove and impel them into said second groove.

6. The combination defined in claim 2, wherein there is an arcuate member pivoted to said base, said arcuate member having a machined out portion adapted to serve as a part of said arcuate groove, and a second portion adapted to serve as a cover member for at least a portion of said second groove.

PLUMMER E. DOUBLE. FRANK WASCHER. 

